Two Player Game
by AgentOfAngst
Summary: What if Octavian had a twin? Would his brother demand more from him? Would his brother demand that he be better, that he care more about himself? Well, yeah. What else can you do, when you're watching the person you care most about self-destruct? Multi-chapter
1. Confrontation

**I'm trying to revisit writing for Octavian. I love this character so much, he's very clearly a part of my life on fanfiction. I had this idea on a whim, what if Octavian had a twin brother? It would obviously change things, and I thought it would be fun to integrate my Octavian canon with a new character. I'm always building on the "canon" and I thought this would be a good way to work on it in an alternate timeline. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy Octavian and Julius, but it's okay if you don't.**

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Chapter 1- Confrontation

Their eyes were unsettling, filled with intensity and determination. There was this spark in the dark blue that seemed capable of burning down the world. Would the Alexander twins actually burn down the world? Probably not. But everyone who saw them knew what they were capable of.

So Camp Jupiter tucked them away in Jupiter's Temple to do their weird prophecy thing. Octavian saw the stirring in the stuffing and Julius interpreted. They were not one without the other, no matter how much they wanted to be. No matter how much they got on each other's nerves, they always had each other's back.

"What are you doing?" Octavian demanded, a little cranky for a lack of coffee today.

"Listening to the Harry Potter musical," Julius replied.

"You haven't even read Harry Potter," Octavian accused.

"So? You haven't played every single game referenced in Wreck-it Ralph and I don't berate you." Octavian sputtered and then paced, his eyes stormy and his hands twitchy.

"Listen, Ian-"

"Don't call me that."

"Listen, no one needs a prophecy right now. Go get a coffee." Octavian almost protested, wanting to be needed, but also really wanting a black coffee. He sighed and nodded.

"Do you want anything?"

"Hot chocolate." Octavian rolled his eyes.

"Of course you do. Might as well get Reyna one too. You're both lightweights."

"Oh, I dare you to say that to Reyna Ramirez-Arellano's face. You would get beat up." Octavian burst out laughing.

"You're right. Think I should get her a drink?"

"It's your funeral man, but hey. I know you like her."

"Never say that again. Never. Never ever. Stop." Julius snickered and watched his brother leave.

Octavian bought Reyna a drink like he'd intended to, dropped it off, not checking on whether or not she'd chucked it the second he left. One time some kid had started a rumor that Octavian bought Reyna hot chocolates because he was trying to poison her and take her position as praetor. But that was absolutely ridiculous because why the heck would he want to work with Jason over Reyna? Jason was the worst. Jason and Dakota were like 97% responsible for all the rumors about him and Julius. Mostly, though, about him. He didn't really care anymore. He didn't care that his twin brother had it easier. He didn't care that Julius had more love from their parents. Okay, he cared a little bit. But there was that song Julius had made him listen to from Hamilton called My Shot. It was a pretty self-explanatory song, Lin-Manuel Miranda repeats, "I am not going to give away my shot." That's how Octavian felt.

Octavian was going to be praetor one day. He was going to lead Camp Jupiter, they would respect him, everyone would respect him. He'd have his brother, at his side but below him. He'd have a purpose. They wouldn't hide him away anymore.

He'd already downed his coffee when he came back with Julius's hot chocolate. He always drank his coffees the second he had them because the best things burned going down. Julius preferred to savor his drink and sipped at it.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Julius asked, getting whipped cream on his upper lip as he sipped his hot chocolate.

"Why do we have to do anything?" Octavian muttered, returning to his pile and taking up the augur's knife, itching for something to do with it. Even if he couldn't interpret what he saw, he still got a high from seeing. But he couldn't channel the divinations if there were no messages from the gods to channel.

"Because if we don't do anything it's boring." Julius sulked at his twin, wondering why Octavian was so dense. They clearly didn't have any friends, and if they wanted any enjoyment in their lives ever they had to make it for themselves. Octavian must understand that a little bit since he played video games and watched movies. But he didn't try to do more. He did solo things like he had to live his life as a solo person. But he didn't.

"Come on Ian, we've got each other. We could actually get out and do something. Don't tell me you were planning on spending the night here in this thunderous old temple," Julius argued, trying to get their stormy eyes to meet.

"If you sing You Will Be Found one more time I'm going to kill you," Octavian threatened.

"You can't kill me," Julius whispered.

"We'd be useless without each other."

"Is that a musical reference?" Octavian asked suspiciously.

"Nope. Just the truth." Octavian sighed, softening for a second, and then returning to his serious, stormy self.

"Listen, Jules, I just… I don't want to get distracted right now."

"Why? Because you're just so close to having the praetorship? Because you're not! You're not Ian! The people at this camp will never fully respect us. We can't wait around for them to want us. It's okay if all we do is watch the stars tonight, I just, I don't want you to be alone, man. Don't kill yourself trying to be someone else." Octavian looked angry for a second and then sad.

"Why should I give up on the only thing I've worked towards all my life?"

"Why can't you work towards something else? Why can't you find a new passion? Dude, you could be a writer-"

"Oh what, like dad?" Octavian spat.

"Yes, like dad. Just because he's messed up doesn't mean everything he's done has no value. Mom messed up, and you still want to be just like her."

"Because mom never hit me!" Julius fell quiet for a second, remembering their father's nervous outlashes. He felt guilty for bringing it up, but there was no taking it back now.

"I'm serious when I say I think you could have a talent for writing. I think you even enjoy it. Don't deprive yourself of something you enjoy just because dad did it, and don't force yourself to do something that makes you miserable just because mom did it."

"You think you know everything-" Octavian sputtered, still angry and sad.

"I don't know everything! Not even close. I just know you."

"Whatever. You want to watch the stars tonight, fine. Just leave me alone." Julius looked at his brother, and he hurt for him. He didn't want Octavian to be alone, and frankly, he didn't want to be alone either.

When night came, the two slouched on the hill, looking up at the beautiful sky. Julius was just glad that Octavian was there, instead of gods know where doing gods know what.

"Hey, I forgot something in the temple," Julius lied smoothly to his brother. Octavian just grunted, still clearly upset by the afternoon's confrontation. Every once in a while this happened, Julius would get tired of Octavian living a listless, predetermined life, and he would snap, and Octavian would deflect. But this time, Julius would make sure that Octavian's deflection couldn't cause damage. He crept quietly through the temple and dug through the stuffed animal pile. He found the bottle of pills and opened it, tossing out every aspirin on the other side of the hill. Then he put the pill bottle back and returned to his brother, acting like nothing between them was wrong. Acting like nothing between them was changing.


	2. Deflecting

**It seems pretty clear to me that there are Octeyna vibes coming out of this story, at least in the form of friendship, much like my story Aurum and the Augur. That doesn't mean Octachel isn't my favorite thing ever, I just like this idea that at camp he might've had a crush on Reyna.**

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Chapter 2- Deflecting

Octavian's eyes held the intensity of a lightning storm, and he glowered and pushed his brother.

Julius feigned surprised, but he'd known what was coming and set his jaw, ready. It was fine, it was okay that the only person on the earth he loved looked at him with utter hatred.

"What did you do?!" Octavian shouted, looking miserable. Julius rolled his eyes.

"Don't push me, Octavian."

"What did you do?" Octavian asked again, stepping back.

"What I needed to."

"No, that's not how this works. You don't get to make this about what you needed. You took away what I needed!"

"You don't need it," Julius said sharply, coming off a little stronger than he meant to, not caring, though.

"That's not your decision to make! If I'm in pain, I'm going to take aspirin."

"Maybe you wouldn't be in pain if you didn't cut yourself!" Octavian stepped back in shock, staring at Julius, mouth hanging open.

"How did, what, how?"

"I'm not an idiot, Octavian. You see, I interpret. And when you cut, you see. You're sick, man. You need help. Let me help you. I need you."

"You always do this, you think that just because we look alike we have to be alike, you think we're part of something grand together, Julius I am not you! I don't have to be you, I don't have to follow your rules, I'm not going to follow your rules!"

"You hate our father because he hurt us! You're hurting yourself constantly, why don't you hate yourself?" Octavian stared back at Julius waiting for him to get it.

"Oh. You do." Julius turned around, about to leave, when he saw someone walking up the hill. He glanced at his brother with a sad sigh.

"Showtime." They worked side by side for the rest of the day. They ate dinner together, went back to their bunks together. But they did not speak. An incredible weight had engulfed them. They didn't feel like friends, they barely felt like brothers. This wasn't what Julius had wanted, but he couldn't watch his brother destroy himself. And so, for the moment, he was done. He was just done. If Octavian was going to hate himself, then there was nothing Julius could do for him.

Octavian felt incredibly alone. It felt so different going down to get his coffee and not getting a hot chocolate for Julius. It felt weird walking into their shared space at night and seeing the stuffed animals they'd gotten as children sitting side by side on the windowsill. Octavian's raccoon Augustus and Julius' fox Nero. Like the little scavenging toys were better friends than the brothers could be right now. On the one hand, Octavian missed his brother's influence every day and realized that Julius just wanted him to take care of himself. On the other hand, he had to stick to his guns. Everything he was doing he felt justified in. He didn't feel bad about anything he had done to himself because he would do it again. Julius had to know that.

Julius did know that. He knew his brother was never going to change. Unless something big in their lives changed. He couldn't help hoping, but things didn't look good, and so he kind of felt hopeless. Octavian hadn't stopped. When it happened, Julius would hide away and sob. It hurt him so much that his brother hurt himself. He literally couldn't stand it. There wasn't enough music in the world to drown in. He couldn't hide from his brother's hurt. He wanted to be able to do something, anything, to get back at Octavian. Something to cause Octavian the same amount of pain as Octavian caused him. But Octavian didn't value life like that. Julius couldn't walk in with scars on his arm and scare Octavian straight. Octavian felt no need to protect him.

Octavian felt no need to protect anyone, except for dogs and… And Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. The only other person at this camp that Ian didn't hate. Well, right now the only person Octavian didn't hate. Julius couldn't make Octavian care about him right now, but what if he went off the deep end? What if he threatened Reyna in front of his brother, offered an ultimatum, sparing Reyna's life if Octavian started valuing his own.

That was a risky move. For one thing, Reyna was a lot stronger and tougher and more capable with a sword than he was. Mostly Julius just interpreted divinations and listened to musicals. He wasn't as accomplished with a blade as Ian was because he never had to use it to sacrifice stuffed animals or self. Oh, if only Octavian wasn't quite so accomplished with a blade. But two could play at most games, and Julius was ready to put anything on the line to wake his brother up. He knew Octavian felt lonely without their brotherly friendship, but loneliness wasn't pushing him to change.

Julius sheathed his imperial gold sword, swooped his blond hair and narrowed his stormy blue eyes at his reflection. He projected Octavian into the mirror and talked to him, "I'm doing this for you, Ian."

He left their shared spaces, headed for the praetorium. His headphones lay around his neck, but there wasn't any music that he wanted to lose his mind to. There wasn't any music that could change his mind, no music that could make him feel any better about this, either. It was exactly as it was, and it was better in silence.

"Showtime."

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**Is Julius the evil twin? Discuss.**


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